SPH in the News

There has been a lot of concern about how the protests over the last several days may produce a wave of coronavirus cases. Facing a slew of media requests asking about how protests might be a risk for COVID-19 transmission, a group of faculty and students at the UW drafted and signed a collective response in an open letter.

Any return to pre-pandemic behavior — whether at bars in Waco or demonstrations in cities like Los Angeles — could come at significant cost. In fact, if an analysis from the first COVID-19 hot spot in the United States is any indication, young people have, for weeks, appeared to be setting the stage not for a second wave of an infection, but a deadly extension of the first one. Judith Malmgren, affiliate assistant professor of epidemiology, is quoted.

Most people have formed strong opinions, often along party lines. But in reality, no one knows whether hydroxychloroquine is a safe or effective treatment for COVID-19. Ruanne Barnabas, associate professor of global health, is quoted.

According to Washington State Department of Health data, half of the new COVID-19 cases during the week of May 10 were of patients under 40 years old. Judith Malmgren, affiliate assistant professor of epidemiology, is quoted.

As Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy and Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz move to reopen the state and city economies, both say that their actions will be guided by data. Janet Baseman, associate dean at the School of Public Health and professor of epidemiology, is quoted.

The indiscriminate nature of the virus means corrections officers, who often endure low pay and difficult working conditions, are vulnerable alongside the inmates they guard. More than 2,600 inmates have been infected in state prisons, including those that are privately managed. Dr. Marc Stern, affiliate assistant professor of health services, is quoted.

Many think digital contact tracing will identify people potentially exposed to the coronavirus who should self-isolate — and that they’ll voluntarily do so. But so far, we only have epidemiological models to suggest such apps can help control an epidemic. Skeptics worry the apps will amount to a high-tech distraction. And even some advocates say they’re only as strong as a health system’s ability to follow up with notified users, test them and offer support during quarantine. Allison Black, a graduate student in epidemiology, is quoted.

Americans are fleeing weeks of home isolation for beaches, parks and other leisure destinations over the Memorial Day weekend — and that has pandemic experts and businesses concerned about a spike in coronavirus cases. Hilary Godwin, dean of the UW School of Public Health, is quoted.

Half of new coronavirus infections in Washington are now occurring in people under 40, a marked shift from earlier in the epidemic when more than two-thirds of those testing positive were in older age groups. Judith Malmgren, affiliate assistant professor of epidemiology, is quoted.

The first confirmed coronavirus infections in Europe and the United States, discovered in January, did not ignite the epidemics that followed, according to a close analysis of hundreds of viral genomes. Trevor Bedford, affiliate associate professor of epidemiology, is quoted.

As experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study the novel coronavirus spreading across the globe, they have faced scientific and political challenges complicating efforts to communicate the best information to the public about a crisis taking on increasingly partisan dimensions. Hilary Godwin, dean of the UW School of Public Health, is quoted.

Experts say our good air quality this spring is partially due to people driving less. However, they warn that unless big, long-term changes are made, these cleaner skies are not here to stay. Joel Kaufman, professor of environmental and occupational health sciences, is interviewed.

Young adults and children appear to be increasingly contracting the new coronavirus in the United States, according to a new study. Judith Malmgren, affiliate assistant professor of epidemiology, is quoted.

Contact tracing aims to identify those the virus might strike next. But in the U.S., the idiosyncrasies and scale of this pandemic — and the intense polarization of this peculiar moment in American history — promise to make contact tracing the most complex and difficult health investigation in history. Janet Baseman, associate dean at the School of Public Health and professor of epidemiology at the UW, is quoted.

Banning travel from Europe this March was intended to block the pathogen’s entry into the United States but instead delivered one final viral infusion. As those exposed travelers fanned out into U.S. cities and suburbs, they became part of an influx from Europe that went unchecked for weeks and helped to seal the country’s coronavirus fate. A study by Trevor Bedford, affiliate associate professor of epidemiology, is referenced.

The Washington State Department of Health is in the early stages of a massive effort to interview COVID-19 patients and track down those who might have been infected by those patients. Janet Baseman, associate dean at the School of Public Health and professor of epidemiology, is quoted.

In any non-pandemic year, we’d welcome summer with open arms. But with more than 1.5 million confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. and nearly 100,000 deaths to date, the change in season has brought about uncertainty and frustration as stay-at-home orders are extended. Scott Meschke, professor of environmental and occupational health sciences, and Janet Baseman, associate dean at the School of Public Health and professor of epidemiology, are quoted.

Many shoppers are currently required by state, city or local regulations to wear masks or other facial coverings. But it’s largely been left to grocery store employees and other workers to enforce those rules, despite having little or no training on how to do so. Marissa Baker, assistant professor of environmental and occupational health sciences, is quoted.

Beginning in March, public officials told Washingtonians to avoid going to the hospital, if possible, fearing a surge of COVID-19 patients would overwhelm the system. But in recent weeks, a chorus of doctors, hospital executives and public officials has beseeched Washingtonians to return. Dr. Jared Baeten, vice dean of the School of Public Health and professor of global health, is quoted.

Life has changed — the twin pressures of the coronavirus pandemic and economy-snarling lockdown have stretched the borders of what we thought was possible. Aaron Katz, principal lecturer in health services, is quoted.

The coronavirus’ death rate — a calculation of deaths out of total confirmed cases — varies by place and population. Eight countries currently have death rates higher than 10%, while others are lower than 1%. Anirban Basu, professor of health services, is quoted.

Boeing and Airbus are researching the new coronavirus’ behavior inside jetliners, part of an industry push to curb risks that have brought air traffic to a near standstill. Scott Meschke, professor of environmental and occupational health sciences, is quoted.

In an effort to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, President Donald Trump will soon ban travelers coming from the latest hotspot: Brazil. Nicole Errett, a lecturer of environmental and occupational health sciences, is quoted.

It’s not an AIDS vaccine but it may be the closest thing to one so far. A long-acting antiretroviral drug given as an injection every two months powerfully protected uninfected people from HIV in a large-scale study that was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The apparent success — the study has not been published in a peer-reviewed journal or presented to HIV researchers at a meeting — offers a potentially easier alternative to taking daily pills of other antiretrovirals, which has proved difficult for many people. Dr. Jared Baeten,vice dean at the UW School of Public Health and professor of global health, is quoted.

Passengers say airlines’ new social distancing measures are unevenly applied. Not all airports have taken steps recommended by public health officials to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell wrote Monday in a letter to federal transportation officials, the aviation industry has taken far too long to beef up its response to COVID-19. Hilary Godwin, dean of the UW School of Public Health, is quoted.

Passengers say airlines’ new social distancing measures are unevenly applied. Not all airports have taken steps recommended by public health officials to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell wrote Monday in a letter to federal transportation officials, the aviation industry has taken far too long to beef up its response to COVID-19. Hilary Godwin, dean of the UW School of Public Health, is quoted.

COVID-19 has spread rapidly behind bars in Detroit and across the nation, according to an analysis of data gathered by Reuters from 20 county jail systems, 10 state prison systems and the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, which runs federal penitentiaries. Dr. Marc Stern, affiliate assistant professor of health services, is quoted.

Two Italian studies suggest that Italy's coronavirus deaths could be twice as high as the official death count. U.S. researchers have also estimated that the nation is substantially underreporting cases. Dr. Elizabeth Halloran, professor of biostatistics and of epidemiology, is quoted.

“Gov. Jay Inslee must produce a comprehensive plan for increasing COVID-19 testing in Washington. This is critical now that Inslee is reopening parts of the economy and deploying a contract-tracing brigade, to better inform people exposed to the novel coronavirus,” writes The Seattle Times Editorial Board. Dr. Judith Wasserheit, chair and professor of global health, is quoted.

After many decades of heavy industry, the last five miles of the Duwamish River is a Superfund site — a federal priority for hazardous-waste cleanup. Residents have long complained that all the industry and freight traffic in the Duwamish Valley fouls their air and water – and endangers their health. Chronic air pollution can worsen chronic diseases, making residents more vulnerable to COVID-19. Joel Kaufman, professor of environmental and occupational health sciences and of epidemiology, is quoted.

From bird counts to COVID-19 testing, you can help researchers collect critical data from home. Nicole Errett, a lecturer of environmental and occupational health sciences, is quoted and Tania Busch Isaksen, a senior lecturer of environmental and occupational health sciences, is mentioned.

The fatality rate of the pandemic coronavirus among U.S. patients with symptoms is projected to be more than 10 times that of seasonal influenza “over time,” according to a peer-reviewed study by an American health economist. Anirban Basu, professor of health services, is quoted.

Researchers from the UW Center for One Health Research and Washington State University hope to collect samples from at least 100 pets across King County in the coming weeks as part of a research project to understand the way the virus spreads to domestic animals.

“My first reaction to the news that the coronavirus seems to have spread more widely than initially understood — potentially to 20 percent of New York City residents, for example — was optimism,” writes David Leonhardt. Dr. Jared Baeten, vice dean of the School of Public Health and professor of global health, is quoted.

In a 111-year-old redbrick mansion tucked behind a temporarily deserted Capitol building, the man known for an obsession with battling climate change through public policy has become a hunter-gatherer of basic medical supplies. Dr. Judith Wasserheit, chair and professor of global health and adjunct professor of epidemiology, is quoted.

The UW School of Medicine is looking for people who have tested positive for COVID-19 to participate in a clinical trial aimed at finding out whether a controversial drug called hydroxychloroquine can keep them from having to be hospitalized. Dr. Jared Baeten,vice dean of the School of Public Health and professor of global health, is quoted.

Researchers at the UW on Friday announced a major new study of the malaria drug President Donald Trump has praised as a possible, low-cost cure for COVID-19. Dr. Christine Johnston, associate professor of medicine at the UW, is quoted. Ruanne Barnabas, associate professor of global health, is mentioned.

“How can we ensure that every child gets a good education? Achieving quality schooling for all is one of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. But one of the largest studies of its kind confirms that countries are some way from ensuring a school place for about 260 million children currently not attending school,” writes Nature's editorial board. Emmanuela Gakidou, professor of global health and adjunct professor of health services, is referenced.

The Brazilian CloroCovid-19 trial testing the safety and efficacy of a high dose of chloroquine in patients with severe COVID-19 has been terminated early after an interim analysis showed it was associated with more toxic effects and deaths, particularly affecting heart rhythms, than a lower dose. Dr. Stephan Fihn, professor of health services, is quoted.

Congregating in cool public spaces may reduce the risk of heatstroke — but it may also put people at risk of spreading the new coronavirus. It’s the latest conundrum facing public officials as the summer disaster season looms. Kristie Ebi, professor of global health and environmental and occupational health sciences, is quoted.